Chocolate Milk's Strange Origins That Some People Aren't Finding So Sweet

Regular milk has been a staple all on its own, but for those who are not fond of the taste, there's chocolate milk to save the day. Smart parents know it's a great way to bring necessary nutrition to young children. And the man who popularized it did have health in mind, though his own reputation is a little bit shady.

Sometime in the early 1700s, chocolate milk was said to be introduced to Western society by Irish botanist and physician Hans Sloane. He got credit for inventing it during his time in Jamaica, though that notion has sparked a long-running debate ever since. But before his reputation was tarnished, the British Empire saw him as the next scientific mastermind.

After being appointed to the prestigious Royal Society at only 25 years of age, Sloane was sent to Jamaica to study the medical benefits of various plants. Hans documented hundreds of new species and pioneered some new treatments, while also making strides in his personal life. The Irishman married Elizabeth Langley Rose, though he might have loved her money more than his wife.

Elizabeth was a wealthy heiress and a widow to boot, so her fat wallet gave Sloane the leeway to carry out all kinds of scientific pursuits. He built up one of the most impressive botanical collections in the world and excitedly tested out new theories, though the doctor also spent some time overseeing the grim business that kept his wife so rich.

Elizabeth Sloane lived on and ran a successful sugar plantation, which operated off the labor of dozens of enslaved people. Sloane cared little for the well-being of his workers, but he did keep a close eye on their behavior. He always had profit on his mind.

His natural curiosity drew him to the daily customs of the slaves, many of whom were native Jamaicans. Sloane noticed that they often drank a beverage of cocoa mixed with water. Never one to turn down a new botanical experience, the physician asked to take a sip.

Sloane hated it, going so far as to call the bitter drink "nauseating." Still, he was intrigued by cocoa's popularity among the locals and its possible health benefits. Hans tinkered with the recipe, adding a couple of key ingredients to make it more palatable to his European tastebuds.

Sloane said he added milk to improve the taste. He also tossed in some sugar, of which there was plenty at his disposal. He brought his "discovery" back home with him to Europe, where his fellow nobles agreed that the taste was quite delectable. But Hans claimed the drink did more than just please the sense.

He marketed cocoa as a medicine that would fortify the body and fight off disease, but soon it became a drink for the holiest of occasions too. Spanish society ladies, for example, had cups of chocolate served during Mass. However, it was never documented that anyone had tried adding milk, which does contradict Sloane's reported "innovations."

The doctor may have ripped off the beverage and passed it as his own formula, but it still became a best-seller. A chocolatier named Daniel Peter had the bright idea to add condensed milk to cocoa in 1875, and since then it's been more or less the drink we enjoy today. However, many historians take issue with this narrative, which leaves out a key chapter in the chocolate milk saga.

Indeed, many claim that the credit for this popular drink was straight-up stolen from the people of the Caribbean and Mesoamerica. In 2008, The Jamaica National Heritage Trust called upon citizens to participate in a festival combining dance, music, and more to honor African ancestors. However, the event also had an ulterior motive.

The group sought to battle the damaging narrative popularized by Hans Sloane. They did this in part by declaring that one particularly Jamaican drink be brought into the celebration: hot chocolate tea, which, whether hot or cold, is essentially chocolate milk. But all their efforts were still challenged by another group that insists the delicious elixir was actually not a Jamaican creation.

Mixing milk with chocolate isn't exactly rocket science, and cocoa has been consumed since the days of the Aztecs, probably back in the 15th century. The substance was so valuable that these people even used the beans as currency! Granted, the drink was a lot different from what we're used to now.

What we might consider "hot chocolate" was different for the Aztecs. Their recipe took a thick amount of cocoa, from cocoa beans, laced with ground chiles and dyed red. The strong drink was completely unknown to Europeans until after Spanish explorers, like Christopher Columbus, returned home with ships full of New World goods.

Because of cocoa's long-established use and Sloane's controversial background, modern historians have called for his name to be removed from historical records. Besides the fact that he didn't really invent chocolate milk, the physician also wasn't as groundbreaking as he liked people to believe.

Although Sloane was seemingly knowledgeable for his time, many of his ideas would have been laughed out of the classroom just a generation later. Later scientists recognized him as someone who enjoyed collecting things more seriously studying plant matter. The famed Isaac Newton even called Sloane "a villain and rascal," as he advanced more through political connections than academic talent.

To Sloane's credit, he was known to offer free medical services to the needy and founded a hospital for orphans — as long as they were British. His legacy is a complicated one, and it's made chocolate milk a surprisingly hot-button issue. Besides the historical implications, some modern doctors have questioned the beverage's supposed health benefits.

Although chocolate milk provides much-needed calcium, the delicacy is also loaded with sugar. Nutritionists have linked overconsumption of the drink to both obesity and heart disease — that's probably why it's no longer sold by pharmacists. Still, it certainly makes life a little bit sweeter, and so does its cold-weather counterpart — hot chocolate.

There’s so much more to know about hot chocolate than the fact that it tastes good — no matter how you drink it. Because even when you strip away the sugary toppings, such as marshmallows and whipped cream, you still have a pretty sweet beverage on your hands. But what does that mean for your health?

Well, experts have looked into the health effects of this beloved beverage, and what they found was surprising. The researchers looked into chocolate and, in particular, they broke down the sweet stuff’s ingredients to see if the candy had any redeeming qualities. It was then that one part of the standard hot chocolate recipe caught their eye.

That one ingredient appears in lots of mugs of hot chocolate, too. So before you brew your next batch of the sweet stuff, read this. You’ll want to know exactly what it is you’re drinking as well as the effects that your favorite wintertime drink can have on your body. Of course, hot chocolate does have its shortcomings in the eyes of some health experts.

There are a lot of varieties, though. On the one hand, you have milk chocolate. Its manufacturers say that it’s better than the alternatives because its namesake ingredient, milk, has both calcium and protein. On the other hand, dark chocolate fans say this variety is good for the body, as it contains both antioxidants and iron. Chocolate wars, who’d have thought it?

The truth is that the nutrients you get from commercial chocolate can vary wildly from bar to bar. So the best way to know which nutrients you’re getting — or the lack of them — is by reading the label. And, we're sorry to say, some indulgent candies have very little to offer by way of nutrition.

There are, of course, some negative side effects of eating chocolate. Because sweet stuff tends to contain high amounts of sugar — too much of which can cause tooth decay. That cause-and-effect link is a strong one, as is chocolate’s links to weakened bone strength and density. Researchers have been studying these ties for many years, too.

One study followed older women who ate chocolate daily. The results, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that bone strength and density were lower in those who ate the candies. Another potential problem with eating chocolate is migraines. These severe headaches might be triggered if the chocolate contains histamine, phenylalanine, and tyramine.

Unlike the bone density issue, though, research examining the links between chocolate and migraines has come back inconclusive. There’s also the argument that some varieties of chocolate may contain lead and cadmium, both of which prove toxic to the bones, kidneys, and tissues. A 2020 study — "To Eat or Not to eat: A Review of the Relationship between Chocolate and Migraines" — noted, "Chocolate is the most popular food trigger of a migraine."

Considering chocolate is the main ingredient in hot chocolate, it should come as no surprise that the beverage has some questionable side effects, too. For one thing, a mug of the sweet drink has lots of sugar in it. And dietitian Jennifer Glockner, RD, told Fox News in 2015 that many pre-made cocoa mixes have a shocking amount of the white stuff.

“Most hot chocolate powders on the market, as well as ones used by coffee houses, list sugar as the first ingredient, with additional sugars disguised throughout the ingredient list,” Glockner said. Many brands have between 34 and 41 grams of sugar per serving. The American Heart Association recommends women have less than 24 grams of added sugar per day and men have less than 36 grams.

A pre-made mug of cocoa might also contain a high amount of sodium — something that’s hard to believe when you sip on such a sweet beverage. However, most will have about 370 mg per serving, a fifth of the amount of sodium you should have daily. And you don’t want to go overboard, either, as too much of it can exacerbate kidney or heart disease as well as high blood pressure.

Another issue with hot chocolate — at least of the pre-packaged variety — is that the syrupy kinds you buy at chain coffeehouses come with a slew of processed ingredients. And we're not just talking about the pumpkin-spice specials. Glockner explained, “The options at most coffee house chains contain corn syrup, several emulsifiers, anti-caking agents, stabilizers, and artificial flavors.”

Finally — and perhaps worst of all — some of the hot chocolate powders on the market are treated with alkali to make them taste less bitter and balance their acidity. But this potentially strips it of the antioxidants and flavonoids that come with it. Yet if you take your next mug of hot chocolate back to basics, you might be able to get all of that goodness back.

Because a more basic recipe could ward off some of the adverse effects. How do you do this? Start with a couple of teaspoons of non-alkalized cocoa powder and add a cup of your milk of choice. Then add a dash of sweetener if you need it and flavorful spices, such as cinnamon.

It’s the cocoa that deserves your attention, though. The cocoa solids — the stuff pulverized into the brown powder — are a nutrient-dense addition to your diet. Because you’ll find flavanols within them. Flavanols are plant-based chemicals that can boost your heart health and diffuse your blood pressure, according to studies.

Studies have also found cocoa to be good because it makes you feel fuller for longer. So having some cocoa-heavy hot chocolate can sate your sweet tooth without you actually eating a ton of sugar. Plus, research has further shown a promising link between cocoa consumption and the body’s ability to stop fat storage — but more has to be done to solidify that finding.

A study conducted at Dusseldorf University in Germany gathered a group of 100 adults between 35 and 60 years old. Half of the participants drank a fruit-flavored beverage that contained the flavonols found in cocoa. The other half got a flavonol-free version, and both groups sipped their designated drink twice a day. With us so far?

The group who consumed the flavonol-filled beverage displayed a slew of promising changes at the end of the study. Their cholesterol levels went down, as did their blood pressure. Plus, those in the test group saw their arterial stiffness start to loosen up, a noted improvement that the control group did not see.

This combination of improvements could have an even bigger, more positive effect on health. Because the experts behind the study said lower blood pressure, less arterial stiffness, and decreased cholesterol could ward off coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and heart attacks, too. Who knew? The findings did come with a warning label, however.

For one thing, the test group in the flavonols study was relatively small. Another questionable point: Mars helped to fund the study — which might’ve swayed researchers to find a pro-chocolate tidbit to help their sponsor sell more chocolate. Oops! But to be fair, the European Union was another major sponsor.

Plus, we need to remember that flavonols aren’t just found in cocoa. Heart health dietician Tracy Parker told the British Heart Foundation that other food comes packed with them, too. If you can’t get yours from cocoa, then seek out “fruits and vegetables, such as dark green vegetables, berries, and beetroot.”

Parker went on to explain why fruits and vegetables make a great alternative source of flavonols. She said, “[They] provide us with a range of other vitamins, minerals, and fiber and should form a core part of a balanced, healthy diet. This is consistent with our whole diet approach to healthy eating which emphasizes the importance of balance and consumption of a range of foods rather than individual nutrients or ingredients.”

But drinking a simple version of hot chocolate can make a worthwhile addition to your diet, so long as your cocoa base contains flavonol. The European Food Safety Authority agrees — it’s suggested that we ingest 2.5 grams of cocoa powder daily to get all of the body-bettering effects of the flavonol.

Of course, 2.5 grams isn’t much — you’ll probably want to scoop even more into your mug. And you can do that. But it’s still unclear just how much cocoa you can have daily to still reap the positives. You should certainly be more cautious about how many other additives you’re putting into your mug.

Because a mug of hot chocolate sweetened with lots of sugar, thickened with full-fat milk, and topped with marshmallows will do more harm than good. It’s not something you can drink daily, and it sure isn’t worth the flavonol pay-off. But you can include some of your favorite hot chocolate add-ins and still reap the health benefits we’ve already highlighted.

For example, let’s say you mix your cocoa powder with full-fat milk. Dairy consumption has links to decreased risk for heart disease, too. Plus it comes with a wealth of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, and calcium. And if you want to avoid the high-calorie tally of full-fat, you can get many of its benefits by switching to low-fat or fat-free milk.

You could also mix your hot cocoa with a plant-based milk alternative. Oat milk, for one, has enough soluble fiber to slow down the digestive process to make you feel fuller for longer. Your blood sugar levels will balance out, and your cholesterol levels will probably dip, too. Combine that with cocoa powder, and you’ve got yourself a fairly guilt-free beverage to drink.

If you choose wisely, you can even sweeten your hot cocoa in a way that won’t take away from all the goodness it contains. A few drops of all-natural honey, for instance, will provide ample sweetness. The bee byproduct also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which wouldn’t hurt to have in your hot chocolate, either.

Experts do say that you should keep your sugar consumption at about ten percent of your daily calorie intake. So if you plan on drinking a hot chocolate every day, you have two choices to reap the benefits. Either keep the sweet additions to a minimum or skip other sugary foods during the day to make room for your cocoa.